Friday, August 27, 2010

Margaritas, Scales 'n' Stupid Numbers (and Why You Shouldn't Take Them So Seriously)

So last night was Mexican night i.e. way too many margaritas, chips and salsa in one sitting, with salt overload might I add. The margarita glasses were rimmed in salt, the chips were swimming in salty goodness and our limes (for the tequila shots later on) were even coated in salt. Why, I don't know? However, I didn't beat myself up over it at all because I eat healthy every day, and had eaten "clean" all day long. What's a little fun gonna do?

That doesn't make up for the fact that I felt like a huge bloated blob this morning when I woke up. And, expectedly, when I stepped on the scale this morning I was two pounds more than I usually am. While two years ago I would've cried and beaten myself up over the fact that I "gained" two pounds in one day, I am a much wiser version of myself now. Instead of freaking out, I laughed and thought to myself, "Yep, that's what salt will do to you." Ladies, I'm only going to say this once: IT'S ONLY WATER WEIGHT. There is no possible way you can gain two pounds in one day, unless you literally ate lard for 24 hours straight (and even then you'd probably, um, poop it out). It's amazing that it took me years to figure this out and to finally stop over-analyzing and obsessing over the damn number on the scale.

I love that after all these years, I can finally be rational and happy about my weight. Yes, it's going to go up and down. Yes, there will be days I feel "fatter" than others, and days I feel ultra skinny. However, what it comes down to is the way I feel in my own skin, how I fit in my clothes and the general healthy lifestyle that I live. I wish everyone could realize that when you lead a healthy lifestyle most of the time you are allowed little indulgences here and there, and they WON'T I repeat WON'T affect your overall goals and weight.

So, simply put: enjoy life and stop freaking out about stupid numbers all the time. Instead, dive into that third margarita and know tomorrow will be a new day, and the number on the scale will go back to normal as well! I promise you that.

I love this post! You hit all the right points! I used to be the same way. Even the slightest gain (why do scales even put decimal points is beyond me) would make me feel like a failure. Me, someone who has worked so hard and achieved so many things...felt like a failure over a .3 weight gain. So sad, but true. Like you, I'm so over that. I haven't weighed myself in months and I love love love what I see in the mirror.

Thank you ladies! I'm glad you like the post and that you too have also gotten over that scale insanity. It's crazy and disheartening that we can beat ourselves up over tiny decimal points (like you said Maria). Really, it's how we feel and how we look in the long run, not on a 24 hour basis. If you eat healthy and practice a healthy lifestyle, and are happy with WHO you are, then you ARE healthy...that's just how it is : )

French food dictionary balanced in my palms, like a slab of slate flecked with twinkly mica. The weight felt substantial. It smelled like an animal in the forest. Pulling back a page, I'd realized I'd not had a real book experience in ages. I've become careless with books, viewing them as throwaways, like H&M clothing. I've been guilty of sacrilige. I've marked them up, hard covers too, with pencil, pen even, as if knowing the sufferable truth; modern books are defamable.

French food dictionary balanced in my palms, like a slab of slate flecked with twinkly mica. The weight felt substantial. It smelled like an animal in the forest. Pulling back a page, I'd realized I'd not had a real book experience in ages. I've become careless with books, viewing them as throwaways, like H&M clothing. I've been guilty of sacrilige. I've marked them up, hard covers too, with pencil, pen even, as if knowing the sufferable truth; modern books are defamable.

French food dictionary was then but these days help is on hand with a neat little pocket book called The A-Z of French Food - Dictionaire Gastronomique Francais-Anglais which comes highly recommended by Hub-UK.

About Me

I am a 25 year old "Healthy Chick" living in the lovely city of Boston.
I hold an extreme passion for health, researching the newest trends and best fitness tips daily.
I’m obsessed with studying food, living by the Italian's mantra: enjoy what you eat, every last bite, but also be aware of what you're putting inside your mouth. After all, food should be something to savor, not fear and that's exactly why I chose to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
No, I'm not a doctor, nutritionist or personal trainer. I don't have any notable certifications or trophies hanging on my walls. However, I do have a sincere love for what I do, and believe I can offer you fresh, new insights you can't get from magazines or diet books. I don't write just to hop on the "blogging bandwagon." I write because I care about what I do and want to share what I have to say (and trust me that's a lot) with all of my lovely readers!
My newest project: I’m working to make my "Healthy Chicks" blog into a book incorporating older posts with new, fun tips and ideas. So get on board and start reading! Send any suggestions/ ideas to my email.